“I
cannot believe in this tiny country (Ireland) there are 4__, maybe 500
families so badly affected, their daughter completely wiped out, and the
reaction of the Health Service and particularly the Minister and a lot
of other politicians and professors and doctors, all saying that they’re
absolutely disgraceful.” — Jonathan Irwin

Jonathan Irwin is a former stud owner and racetrack executive who, in
his mature years, devoted his life to a foundation he set up with his
wife Mary Ann called the Jack and Jill Foundation. He set up the
foundation in 1997 to provide in-home nursing care for severely disabled
children, or babies born with life-threatening, debilitating
conditions, whose parents would otherwise be unable to afford such
services. The Irwins set up the foundation in response to a tragedy
which befell their own family in 1996, which would change the course of
their lives.
Jonathan Irwin’s son Jack was born healthy, but for an
unknown reason, he developed severe brain damage due to complications
which occurred two days after his birth. According to Jack and Jill’s website,
“While history does not reveal the immediate aftermath of this drama,
it is probable that he died and was resuscitated. Certainly from that
moment on, Jack could not swallow and was probably blind and deaf.” The
doctor treating Jack advised the Irwins to leave him at the hospital so
that he would not be a burden on his family and moreover, this would be
the only way the state would be forced to provide care for him.
The Irwins, outraged and finding this attitude totally unacceptable,
decided to care for Jack at home with the help of a local volunteer
nurse. They received no assistance from the health services executive
(HSE) which they found appalling. The Irwins vowed to help as many
families as they could, who unavoidably found themselves in the same
tragic situation. Jack lived for 22 months under the loving care of his
family and a team of volunteer nurses by his side.
In the last 20 years, the Irwins, with the Jack and Jill Foundation,
have helped thousands of families fund care for their severely disabled
children in their homes. It is truly a monumental service to the country
of Ireland and a gift to the children and their families they have
helped.
So it was with a heavy heart that Jonathan Irwin stepped down as CEO
last week in a shocking announcement via Twitter. His reason? To care
for his daughter who is bedridden, following what he says was a severe
reaction to the Gardasil vaccine. The usual vitriolic attacks from the
motley crew of pro-HPV-vaccine-at-all-costs media reps, professors,
doctors, and “concerned individuals,” which normally descends on such
posts, was noticeably absent. It seemed like there was a kind of stunned
silence that such a prominent figure as Mr. Irwin would make such a
claim.
Then something happened which was quite unexpected. The “Bring Vaxxed
To Ireland” group contacted Mr. Irwin via social media after seeing his
post. They asked if he would like to share his daughter’s story with
the Vaxxed team who were in town screening Vaxxed: From Cover-Up To Catastrophe
at the Tivoli Theater that same weekend, amidst some (minuscule) drama.
He graciously agreed, saying that he wished to help in any way he
could.
Mr. Irwin invited the Vaxxed team to his home, on a Sunday afternoon, where they recorded this extraordinarily poignant interview
where he talks about his daughter’s illness. He explains his decision
to support the families of Regret, much like he did for the early Jack
and Jill families. It seems Mr Irwin has a deep empathy and
understanding of the vilification of these families by the medical
establishment and has the courage to stand up for them when he sees such
an injustice.
In what seems like a tragic parallel with his late son Jack’s story
over 20 years ago, now his daughter Molly is suffering in a debilitating
state after being given a vaccine which he refers to as a “disaster”
and “useless.” He says that his daughter has lost her teenage life. She
used to compete on the Irish pony team, an experienced equestrian, but
no more. He is equally as horrified at the treatment other girls and
their families have received from the HSE, who have dared to speak out.
He vows to bring this issue to the door of the Health Minister Simon
Harris and ask him to explain how he is being
hysterical when his daughter is suffering the exact symptoms listed on
the patient information leaflet provided by Merck. He wants to ask him
why parents are not being given this important information about side
effects from the manufacturer themselves.
Mr. Irwin says he will ask Simon Harris to explain the inexcusable
things he has been saying about these parents and wants to ask who has
been writing his scripts? He thinks that because of the way “Harris and
his team” have treated those who dare to put their head above the
parapet and defend their children, the HPV vaccine program is now in
free-fall in Ireland.

I cannot believe in this tiny country there are 4__,
maybe 500 families so badly affected, their daughter completely wiped
out, and the reaction of the Health Service and particularly the
Minister and a lot of other politicians and professors and doctors, all
saying that they’re absolutely disgraceful. It is entirely their fault
that the take-up rate has fallen from 87% to below 50%, and they are the
outcasts and pariahs of society . . . . .
. . . These aren’t parents who’ve got some great plot. These are
parents in desperate straits, and they are completely blacked by the
fact that the organizations that should help them are in fact really
trying to turn them into criminals. And that is so wrong. If my wife and
I can stop that, we will. Jonathan Irwin 5/8/2017

Mr. Irwin’s video testimony is compelling, heart wrenching and
empathetic. In keeping with his selfless attitude of helping families in
the Jack and Jill Foundation for the last 20 years, he has now pledged
his support for the 400 or so families in the parent support group REGRET, which will hopefully bring Simon Harris to task for the insanity that surrounds this issue in Ireland.I have been writing about this topic for two years,
trying to understand how this has been allowed to go on for so long
without redress from the current Minister for Health and his
predecessor, Leo Varadkar. We are so very sorry for Mr. Irwin’s
daughter’s ill health, as his family has suffered so many tragedies
throughout the years, but we will be forever grateful for his and his
wife’s support in shining a light on the plight of the Gardasil Girls in
Ireland.
So very grateful.Note: This article was reprinted with the author’s permission. It was originally published by The Thinking Moms’ Revolution. Valerie
Jackson is a native of Ireland, living in the U.S. She has a degree in
business and worked in banking until her son was injured following a
round of vaccines when he was one. She has since dedicated her life to
his recovery and raising her young family to be as healthy as they can
be.